Movement multiplier for disk springs



- Ap 7,1953 E. K. RALSTON 2,634,123

MOVEMENT MULTIPLIER FOR DISK SPRINGS Filed Nov. 15, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 290 k/PP Ian. ran

1N VEN TOR.

///.s ArraK Y r April 7, 1953 'E. K. RALSTON 2,634,123

MOVEMENT MULTIPLIER FOR DISK SPRINGS Filed Nov. 15, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 EI-po/V k/PP RAuro/v INVENTOR.

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Patented Apr. 7, 1.953

MOVEMENT MULTIPLIER FOR DISK SPRINGS Eldon Kipp. Ralston, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Application November 15, 1949-, Serial No. 127,490

filed; December- 10,. 194165, I: have. explained fully the; usetof" dished or: conical washersx of the Belle-- ville. spring type for use in valve mechanisms or the like. Sometimes, due to the size and. load limitations. the operating: range. of the. spring washer is. not as great as could be desired and thus. the; lift of the valve'or otherfmovable memher is. notas great? as: necessary; Several spring washers have been used". in series to accomplish thisbut: this is. not. alwaypractical from a manufacturing: standpoint. It is an object of the. present invention to provide greatermovementof. the parts operated when using a single spring washer of this type Several. modifications of; the invention will be: shown some: in. which the multiplyingfingers. ex-= tend radially inwardly: from the dishwasher, some in: which; the multiplying: fingers. extend radially" outwardly therefrom, andsome inwhi'ch themultiplyingi fingers: extendin both directions, namely; radially inwardly and. outwardly from the spring washer.

In, the drawings. Fig. 1- is; a; central verticak sectional viewthrough a: control; valveutilizing: my invention;

Fig. 22 is. a.transverse-sectiona11 view of: theisametaken along. theline: 22; of. Fig; L;

3 is a. fragmental sectional? view' somewhat diagrammatic taken. along the line 3-3 of.

form of spring." washer adapted; for use in my invention.

My present invention is related to disk spring. washers of the Belleville type where the desired deflection of the spring is impossible or impractical to obtain by the use of. a single solid spring. The present. invention provide means for multiplying the deflection of such a solid spring;

While my invention. has. many: uses. I have chosen. to show the. same. in Fig; 1 as applied. to a typical relief valve. having a body H]. which is: provided with. a. fluid inlet: H. and fluid outlet openings i2. A valve seat It coacts with a valve disk 14 to control fluid flow between the inlet ll and the outlets I2. A valve cover I5 is secured to the main valve body by means of screws l6.

1 Claim. (Cl. 267-1);

The principal; and sometimes the only loading? for the; valve: disk l;4;- is: provided by the conical: washer generally indicated. at H: andicomprising a solid imperforate ring; lia from which rigidly extend fingers: 111).. The. outer perimeter of the: washer is: held. beneath an. abutment ii; on thecover I55, while the. inner" perimeter oi'the washer engages a shoulder I91 on the valve diskt M. Thus, any-deflection. of the solid: disk "his transmitted to the valve: disk I! through the: fine gers ll b which. thus multiply the. deflection of the: solid spring washer Ila.

Additional loading and adjusting. means may be supplied. through. a. helical spring 28. which; is engaged between. the valve. disk I4: and a. collar 21 which is. engaged by an adjusting screw 22 threaded: through the valve cover l5. This use of an additional helical springfor adjusting pur-- poses is fully described in my above mentioned copending application.

In Figs. 2 and. 3, I have. indicated at a' the radial width. of the. imperforate. ring: which acts like. a. disk spring. I have indicatedv by t the: efiective average. thickness. of the disk washer- I. have indicated at c the length of the fingers i 'lb radially inwardly: from the imperforatev ring Ila".- In the present instance, but: by no means as a: limitation, the fingers li'b are provided by cutting radial slots 23 radially through the annular washer ilffor a portion. of the radial: width there.- of.

Upon a predetermined' deflection of the impere: forate. ring lla as a disk: spring, the deflection would be. as indicated at it" in. Fig. 3 if the imperforate ring" formed the entiredisk spring: By utilizing the multiplying fingers I lb which move rigidly with the ring l-la, the movement h" is multiplied to that indicated at h in Fig. 3 where his proportionately greater than h to the same degree as b is greater than a. Thus by b, I indicate the effective washer lever arm in this type of spring washer;

I have also indicated in Fig. 2 the arcuatewidth 10. where; the fingers l 'lb join the imperforate ring I la;

I find I obtain the best results from spring washers constructed according to my invention when the parts are so constructed and arranged that In this formula, K varies from 1 to 5. I also prefer to make the arcuate width w less than four times a.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 4 and 5, I have shown a disk washer 24 adapted to be used in the same position as the disk washer ll of the first described form. Here the solid portion 24a of the disk is indicated as having a radial width a analogous to the same dimension as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. This is the dimension which determines the disk washer action of the entire device. Extending radially inwardly from the imperforate ring 24a are tongues 241). And extending radially outwardly from the imperforate ring are tongues 240. In this case, slots 25 extend radially outwardly from the inner perimeter of the washer and slots 26 extend radially inwardly from the outer perimeter of the washer. The dimensions a, t and h are indicated in Fig. 5 for the modification of Fig. 4. Here the movement or deflection of the solid portion of the washer is multiplied inwardly by the fingers 24b and outwardly by the fingers 240 so that the total deflection h is equal to the entire effective lever arm as indicated at b in Fig. 5.

In the modification of Fig. 6, I have shown a washer 21 which may be used in place of the spring washers I! and 24 of the previously described forms. Here the solid imperforate ring giving the spring washer action is indicated at 2111 with fingers 2Tb extending radially outwardly therefrom only. The radial width of the imperforate ring is again indicated by the dimension a. The slots 28 out radially inwardly from the outer perimeter of the washer, divide the same into the fingers 21b, leaving the imperforate ring 21a at the radially innermost part of the washer. they join the imperforate ring is indicated at w. The effective washer lever arm is indicated by the dimensions b on Fig. 6.

In the claims I have defined fingers rigidly connected with the spring washer and extending radially therefrom in at least one direction. By this language, I mean that they either extend radially inwardly from the imperforate ring as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or radially outwardly therefrom as shown in Fig. 6, or, of course, they may extend both inwardlyand outwardly as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

My invention may also be used where the pressure is applied beneath the spring washer, but, since this would be accompanied by leakage through the slots 23, 25, 28 and 28 of the present application, I have chosen to describe this particular form of the present invention in my c0- pending application Serial No. 127,489 filed November 15, 1949, where I show diaphragms of this type coated with a rubber covering or the like or as a support behind a flexible diaphragm whereby the benefits of both the present inven tion and the invention of the copending application may both be realized.

While I have described my invention as applied to a, disk spring or washer of the frustoconical type, it will be understood that it might also be applied to a substantially fiat annular washer where the same had suificient flexibility to provide the desired movement of the valve disk or other movable member. In such case, the flexible fingers might extend radially inwardly, radially outwardly or in both directions being formed rigid with the annular fiat washer after the teachings of the present application. This would add flexibility to the composite The arcuate width of the fingers where 4 washer or disk spring as will be readily understood. Also, in accordance with the teachings of the present application, the movement would be multiplied by the fingers extending radially away from the solid annular disk or washer. In other words, if the device of Fig. 1 were applied to a fiat washer, the movement of the valve disk under pressure would be multiplied through the lever arm of the radial fingers so as to more readily flex the solid portion of the disk washer.

It will be noted in Fig. 1, that the sole engagement between the washer l1 and the relatively movable parts, is between the inner and outer perimeters of the washer and the relatively movable parts, in the present case, the engagement of the outer perimeter of the washer with the valve body and the engagement of the inner perimeter of the washer with the valve member 14. This leaves the washer free to provide the spring action herein described.

It will be noted that in every form of my device I have shown more than three fingers and the spaces between these fingers is always open even when the washer is stressed. The purpose of this is to leave the fingers always free to provide the motion multiplying movement herein described.

It will be noted in all forms of my invention that the dimension 0 is always more than fortyrimeters respectively and said parts, the com-.'

bination therein of said washer having an imperforate ring of radialwidth a and effective average thickness t and with fingers rigidly connected with said ring and extending in at least one direction radially therefrom, said fingers of effective length c beyond said ring whereby a plus c equals effective washer lever arm b, 0 being more than forty percent of b, and the cone height of said washer in free unstressed condition being substantially h, the number of said fingers being greater thanthree, there being a space between said fingers at all times in stressed condition of said washer, and wherein twice the value of h multiplied by a and divided by the product of b multiplied by t equals a number between one and five.

ELDON KIPP RALsToN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,939,286 7 Spencer Dec. 12, 1933 1,988,345 Vaughn Jan. 15, 1935 2,169,787 Becker Aug. 15, 1939 2,325,193 Nutt et a1 July 27, 1943 2,332,630 Fawkes Oct. 26, 1943 2,429,069

Murray Oct. 14, 1947' 

